It’s December 31st, the last day of the 2015 and officially the last day of hibernation for me. If you follow me on Facebook and Instagram then you probably already know that December is a time for me to turn inwards and take time to slow down and reflect. It wasn’t easy especially since it’s been a hectic past few weeks with a trip to Chicago and Florida over Thanksgiving followed by holiday preparations, wrapping up work, and cleaning out the clutter. Fortunately, I managed find moments of peace and quiet amongst the chaos.
NYE was mellow for me this year, it has been over the last couple years actually. I definitely knew I didn’t want to ring in 2016 with a bunch of strangers, this year I wanted to be surrounded by love and not step, leap or jump but rather float forward into the new year.
To set the tone for the evening, my entire family and I piled into the car and drove to the Land of Medicine Buddha (LMB), a magical spot nestled in the santa cruz mountains. They had no idea what they were getting themselves into, but they were open to the experience, and I was happy to share my ritual. Once there, we all went our separate ways to spend 3 hours in personal retreat. I had only been to the LMB a few times and each experience was powerful. The grounds are scattered with medicine wheels, buddha statues, temples, chimes, gongs and scriptures, and not to mention the acres of trees and breath of fresh air. I did a short meditation in the hall and then walked around reflecting on the year that had past. I expected to have more thoughts, remember more experiences and highlights but the more I tried the less I recalled and then I came across these words that said to let go of the past and detach, look forward. It was the perfect reminder.
It’s easy to get caught up in the past especially when the past is slipping away, but that is when the future begins.
Another quote that I really like is one by Lao Tzu, he says “New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings”. Don’t be to quick to judge the pain and categorize it as a negative experience, it may just be the catalyst for something amazing.
With that I’ll sign off for the year and see you on the flip side.
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